Tom Saeb (Hot & Sour Pork Rib Soup)

This will probably be the last Thai soup for a while now; the weather is beginning to warm up here so thoughts are turning to lighter meals. This is a great comfort dish though and with it’s powerful herbal broth is definitely going to do you some good and help fight off any colds. It is fairly similar to two other Thai soups I featured before Tom Yum Goong (this has prawns, mushrooms, chilli paste and a little sweetness) and Tom Yum Boran (has beansprouts, peanuts, pork slices and noodles). This is apparently a pretty fashionable dish in Thailand right now; don’t ask me why though!
For two portions use:

• 4/5 small/medium pork ribs,use a cleaver or ask your butcher to chop them into inch pieces
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 4 dried red chillies
• (optional) 3 or 4 small birds eye chillies
• 5/6 kaffir lime leaves, ripped up
• a chunk of galangal, cut into slices
• 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 2 stalks of lemon grass, sliced
• a small handful of fresh coriander
• juice of 1 large or 2 small limes
• a big splash of fish sauce
• 4 cups of water

Into a large pan add the water, pork ribs, dried and (if using fresh chillies), kaffir lime leaves, garlic, galangal and lemon grass and turn on the heat. Cooking the ribs in the liquid will create the stock that will give your soup all of its rich flavour. Cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes or so, the ribs won’t fall off the bone but should be soft. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to sieve out all the tough herbs- lime leaves, galangal and lemon grass (unless you want to leave them in). Drop in the spring onions and fresh coriander. Give it a stir, then turn the heat off and pour in the fish sauce and lime juice. Stir briefly before serving.

Laab Pla Duk (Catfish Chopped Salad)

This is the 3rd recipe for laab/larb/laap that I’ve done now. It’s something we cook quite a lot in our house as it’s easy to do and is fresh tasting and filling too. It’s sort of a salad (but much better than that). Laab is a northern Thai dish and it can come in hundreds of varieties and variations. There’s even one that involves raw pigs blood (though I don’t think I’ll be giving that one a go!) This one made a good change from the chicken or pork versions I’ve done before and the grilled catfish adds a nice smoky depth to the dish. Serve with sticky rice to mop up and juices that are left.

For two people use:

• 1 whole catfish
• 4 (Thai) shallots, sliced
• 3 spring onions, chopped
• a dessert spoon of white rice (for making khao khua- toasted rice powder)
• a big sprinkle of chilli flakes
• a big splash of fish sauce (nam pla)
• juice of 1-2 limes
• 2 wedges of white cabbage
• a big handful each of herbs (I used Vietnamese mint and sawtooth culantro- regular mint and coriander are perfectly fine- I just get excited when I see Thai herbs)

Start with the catfish and get it out of the way- mine was jet black in colour and looked pretty angry- put it on foil and shove it under the grill quickly and grill until fully cooked and the skin is crispy, gently turn it over half way through the cooking; it should take 10-15 minutes altogether.
When the fish has cooled down, remove and discard the skin and pick all the flesh of the bones. Use a big knife to roughly chop the fish.
While the fish is cooling make Khao Khua (toasted rice powder). Heat the dessert spoon of rice in a dry wok and keep moving it until it starts to toast, becoming light brown and smelling slightly nutty, about 3-5 minutes. When it’s toasted, pour into a mortar and grind into a fine powder.
Add all the ingredients into a bowl (apart from the herbs and cabbage) and give everything a really good mix together. Serve with the cabbage wedge and herbs alongside.

Khao Pad Moo Grob (Deep Fried Pork Fried Rice)

This is definitely an indulgence dish- any dish with ‘fried’ in it’s title twice has got to be. That said, there’s only a few pieces of crispy pork belly per portion and there’s lightly cooked fresh veggies, so don’t feel too guilty.
I loved fried rice dishes, they great for using up leftover cooked rice or assorted vegetables. Click the link for the chicken fried rice I made last summer- http://iwishiwasinthailand.tumblr.com/post/91472102264/pad-khao-gai-chicken-fried-rice 
For 3-4 portions use:

• A 300-400g slab of pork belly
• a cereal bowl of cold, pre cooked rice (yesterday’s is ideal)
• a few stalks of choi sum or or pak choy (or other leafy/crunchy veg)
• half a white onion, thinly sliced
• 4 spring onions, sliced
• a large red chilli, sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 egg
• juice of 1 lime
• a big splash of fish sauce (nam pla)
• a big splash of light soy sauce
• a big pinch of ground black pepper
• half a bottle of vegetable oil for deep frying and a splash for the fried rice

Cook the pork belly (click link to open recipe) following the boiling, cutting, soaking and deep frying stages (please be careful- cover the pork during cooking and watch out for spitting oil- I ended up with a few nasty burns on my hands) then once cooked,cut into cubes.
With the meat cooked, we’re ready to start. heat a small splash of oil in a wok and when it’s nice and hot, add in the garlic and sliced onions; stir frying for a few seconds before shoving everything to one side of the wok. Crack the egg into the empty half and leave it to set for a bit, then scramble, then set, then scramble. When it’s fully cooked through, mix everything back together. Throw in the choi sum, chillies and spring onions, stir frying for a minute over a high heat. Now tip in the rice and mix gently, but thoroughly. Add in the sauces and black pepper next, then mix through most of the crispy pork belly. Cook for a final couple of minutes.
Serve with a few more pieces of pork on the top and squeeze over a wedge of lime per portion.

Bu Pad Gratiem Prik Thai (Crab Fried with Garlic and Peppercorns)

A week or two ago now, we had a visit to Manchester which gave me chance to visit China town which has some fantastic food stores and restaurants. I’ve been cooking up a whole bunch of new recipes with the ingredients I picked up from Siam Supermarket this is the first of four to come. The supermarket also features a cafe called Siam Smiles which we ate at and it really did make me smile! It was a typically casually affair, like all good Thai cafes and I was thrilled to see a flavour caddy on the table (way better than regular salt and pepper) and a little pot of nam prik pao (chilli paste). I ordered the Laab Mu (chopped pork salad) which was meaty (pork and I think, liver), lots of herbs, sour and salty and a perfect amount of chilli. My husband chose the Khao Pad Moo Grob (deep fried pork fried rice) which I have re-created for a recipe later this week. The verdict- wonderful flavours, definitely not Westernised, great value for money- absolutely perfect and definitely one to return to the next time we’re back in Manchester.
Now back to the recipe; this is a dish that’s quick to prepare and cook, looks great for a special occasion or party but does require you to get hands on and messy when eating.
For two people use:

• 500g or thereabouts of fresh crab claws
• 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• a few stems of fresh green peppercorn, pulled off stems
• 1 large red chilli, sliced
• a big splash of oyster sauce
• a big splash of fish sauce (nam pla)
• a big splash of light soy sauce
• vegetable oil for frying

Prepare the crab claws first by individually wrapping each in a tea towel and lightly crack them with a pestle or heavy rolling pin (discard any small shell fragments).
Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a large wok and when hot, throw in the garlic and chilli, stir frying for 20 seconds or so before adding the crab claws and peppercorns. Stir fry for 3 minutes before adding in the sauces. Fry for a further minute to make sure everything gets well coated and serve.
Don’t even attempt to use cutlery with this- it’s fingers all the way!

500+ followers!

Hi everyone, I just wanted to say a big thank you for following my blog. I hit 500 followers last night! I hope you continue enjoying my Thai food photos and recipes and if there’s any recipe you think I should be trying or would like to see, just let me know?
Naomi x

Miang Pla Yang (Grilled Fish Wraps)

This was a really quick and simple tea, grilled fish with rice noodles, herbs, wrapped in lettuce and dipped in a sour/spicy sauce called nam jim.
It made me think more of Vietnamese food than Thai with all the fresh herbs and little cooking and I could see this being perfect bbq food for a hot summer’s day.

For two people use:

• 2 cleaned seabass or other fish
• a handful of mint leaves
• a handful of Vietnamese mint or coriander
• about half a lettuce, leaves separated
• a big handful of fresh rice vermicelli

and for the nam jim sauce…

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 small red chillies
• a few stalks of coriander
• juice of 1 lime
• a small splash of fish sauce (nam pla)

Start by grilling the fish under a medium grill. It should take about 10-12 minutes to get some colour/ a little char. Gently turn it over after half way. When it’s cooked, you’ll know; it’ll easily flake and the skin will be a bit crispy
While the fish grills, make the nam jim sauce by blending/pounding up all the ingredients. Set on a serving platter with the rest of the ingredients around.
To eat, treat it like a Thai tortilla; take a lettuce leaf, grab some morsels of fish, top with a few strands of noodles and some of the herbs. Roll the whole thing up like a cigar and dip into the sauce as you eat.

Thai Banana Pancakes

I spent ages looking for a Thai name for these but even when I translated the Thai characters, it was still pronounce ‘c-r-e-p-e’. In summary these are NOT a Thai food but are made and sold in Thailand primarily for tourists but have become kind of popular with the locals nonetheless. Traditional Thai pancakes are called roti and are a super thin bread, served with either savoury or sweet fillings. However, if you’ve ever travelled in Thailand you will almost certainly have had pancakes, usually served ridiculously sweet like this with condensed milk and banana. If anything is authentic here it’s the presentation; folded, cut into squares and eaten with a skewer!

This recipe makes enough for 6 pancakes…

• 1 cup of plain flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 banana, sliced very thin
• a few tablespoons of condensed milk
• fat for frying (I use lard for crispiness but feel free to use vege oil

Make the batter by beating the flour, egg and milk until all the lumps have gone and you have a smooth batter; it should be the consistency of double (heavy) cream. Add a bit more milk if it needs it.
Heat a small amount of your chosen fat in a small frying pan until hot. Use a ladle to spoon in a measure of the batter mix. Working quickly, swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan. Let it set/cook for a minute before gently using a spatula to turn them. While the bottom cooks, place about 8 banana slices and  a drizzle of condensed milk in the centre.
Remove pancake and quickly fold into a parcel, using the spatula to help. Put the pancake on a plate and use a sharp knife to cut it into even squares before giving the pancake a final drizzle of condensed milk.Stick in a skewer.
*Don’t forget to use another small amount of fat for each pancake.

Kai Jeow Cha Om (Acacia Omelette)

Day or night, omelettes are one of those perfect meals when you’re hungry and in a rush and Thailand is a great place to experience the omelette in all it’s glory. They are usually cooked in fiercely hot oil so they puff up and usually contain a small amount of filling mixed in with the egg, such as pork mince. I appreciate acacia (also known as climbing wattle or in Thailand; Cha om) isn’t something you’ll easily be able to get hold of unless you have a Thai supermarket nearby but it was something I’ve been on the look out for a for  while now and when I saw it at RaanThai the other week, I had this recipe lined up ready for it. It shares some of the properties of stink beans such as the sulphurous smell and taste and lingering odour about the person but this largely disappears at cooking time, unlike stink beans which stay potent for up to two days post ingestion.
***A word of warning- cha om is a spiky plant so you have to carefully pull all the leaves off the stems before cooking; avoiding the thorns and resulting finger injury.

For a pan sized omelette that serves one as a main or two as a side dish use:

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 pack of cha- om (roughly a bowl full) Leaves, stripped CAREFULLY off the stems
• a small splash of fish sauce (nam pla) or use light soy sauce if veggie/vegan
• vegetable oil for frying

Mix the cha om/ acacia into the beaten eggs. There should be more cha om than egg. Add in the fish sauce and stir. Heat a big splash of oil in a small-medium sized frying pan and when the oil is very hot, tip the mixture in. Let it fully set underneath (about 1-2 minutes) and very carefully turn over and cook the other side for a further 1-2 minutes. When cooked, turn out onto kitchen paper to soak up excess oil then cut into pieces; fancy diamonds if you like, or slices/wedges/strips if you want to just get eating.

Pad Sai Bua Goong (Lotus Stem & Prawn Stir Fry)

Lotus stems are another Thai ingredient I’d never come across before so when I came across them at RaanThai I was quick to grab them and see what they were like. They’re hollow so hold sauce really well but don’t need to be cooked long as they quickly soften. This was a really quick, light stir fry and is very tasty, better still, it only uses 5 ingredients

For two people use:

• 100g of lotus stems, trimmed and cut into inch long pieces. As a substitute for the lotus, I would go for a crunchy veg like pak choi/ choi sum available from most supermarkets.
• 200g (or thereabouts) of raw or precooked large prawns
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• a big splash of oyster sauce
• a big splash of fish sauce
• vegetable oil for frying

Heat a wok on high, when it’s almost smoking, add in a swirl of vegetable oil. Toss in the garlic and straight after the prawns. If using raw, cook until they have turned more or less pink throughout. If using pre-cooked prawns, heat through for a minute before adding in the lotus stems and cook for a further minute before adding in the two sauces. Toss to coat everything well and serve.

Som Tam Mamuang (Sour Mango Salad)

Hopefully by now, if you been following me for a bit you’ll know how much I love Thai salads and som tam (unripe papaya salad) in particular. I heard about this version a while back but while I can get unripe papayas fairly easily in my home town, it’s much harder to get sour mangos- about a year ago I came across what I thought were sour mangos at an Indian community shop but they turned out to be young mangos (i.e. pale yellow but still sweet). Nice but not quite right. Last weekend I had a fantastic trip to Thai superstore RaanThai on the Wirral, Merseyside where I got stocked up on a range of Thai ingredients including quite a few I’ve never see before (recipes to follow). Anyway, they did have sour mangos in stock,meaning I could finally make som tam mamuang (also known occasionally as yam mamuang). Just a word- they’re called sour for a reason- which for my tastes, is just perfect.

For a huge portion (enough for 3-4 as a side dish/starter) use:

• 2 small sour mangos (they should be hard and green skinned), peeled
• juice of 1 lime
• a big splash of fish sauce (nam pla)
• a big pinch of sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 red chillies (more less if you want)
• a small handful of peanuts, lightly crushed
• a very small handful of dried shrimp (optional)

In a pestle and mortar, pound together the garlic and chillies into a rough paste; add this to a bowl. Use a julienne peeler or try the Thai way (hacking strips with a cleaver) to shred the mangos into the bowl. Throw in the shrimps and peanuts, sugar and lime juice and fish sauce. Give everything a fairly rough stir/mash about for a few moments to break up the mango a little. Have a taste and add more lime/fish sauce/sugar as to your tastes, if you feel it needs it.